Rail leveler



Patented Jan. 13, 1948 UEED STATES P''ENT OFFICE RAIL LEVELER Dale A. Benner, Alton, Ill.

Application July 8, 1944, Serial No. 544,015

1 claim. l

This invention relates to rail levelers; and it has special reference to mechanisms or tools for removing from a car rail a distortion or deformation commonly and popularly known and designated as a dish or a hog which has been imparted to the rail during and as an incident to its use, and distorting or deforming it into a sunken rail.

Objects of the invention are to provide an improved portable metallic frame of unyielding form and strength in order to resist and withstand the severe and sometimes excessive strains and stresses to which it may be subjected when used, composed of a minimum amount of material and of minimum weight, and having its structural elements and its operative parts in novel cooperative assembly and formation; to provide an angular or generally inverted U- shaped rugged metallic frame having integral rail receiving abutments on its ends, and a tubular socket within and integral with the frame midway between its said ends for enclosing the major portion of a screwthreaded shaft which is movable longitudinally as required to remove the dish or hog from a sunken rail engaged in said abutments; to provide pivotally connected vise jaws swiveled on the lower end of said shaft for gripping or engaging under the rail head on opposite sides of the web of the rail; and to provide operative mechanism in the frame for positively moving said shaft longitudinally and thereby leveling or straightening the sunken rail and removing the distorted or deformed dish or hog therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved portable metallic rail leveler having integral abutments for receiving and engaging spaced portions of a metallic distorted or deformed sunken rail, a shaft mounted in said frame for longitudinal movements in directions approximately at right angles to said sunken rail engaged in said abutments, and vise jaw members swiveled on the end portion of said shaft that is toward said rail for positively engaging and modifying a sunken rail into its original shape and form in order to level and remove any dish or hog from said rail, and mechanism mounted in and cooperating with said frame for positively moving said shaft longitudinally as aforesaid when said mechanism is rotated about said shaft.

Other objects and advantages of my improved rail leveler should be -apparent from the following description, reference being made to the annexed drawing, in whichof my improved rail leveler and the shaft operating mechanism.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view approximately on the line 3 3 of Figs. 1 and 2, showing the operating mechanism in one optional position.

Fig. 4 is a similarly enlarged vertical sectional View of the operating mechanism in another position.

Fig. 5 is a like enlarged horizontal sectional view of the operating mechanism on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is an end elevation showing one of the rail receiving abutments which are integral with the respective ends of the rigid frame.

In the form of the invention shown, the portable metallic frame is of great strength and of very strong and unyielding form in order to resist and withstand any excessive and severe strains and stresses when used. It is composed of a minimum amount of metal and is of minimum weight, and of novel form to provide maximum strength. For the attainment of these objectives, the body of said frame is formed with an outer angular or bowed tension member I, a complementary inner angular or bowed compression member 2, and downwardly diverging arms 3 integral with the ends of said tension and compression members, respectively; a web 4 midway between the side edges of and integrally uniting and holding said tension and compression members rigidly spaced apart and having a central opening 5 midway of its ends and approximately midway between said tension and compression members; side frame portions 6 extending along opposite sides of the opening 5 and laterally from both sides of said web 4, from integral connection with the tension member l to integral connection with the compression member 2; annular walls 'I and 8 at the outer and inner sides of the opening 5 integrally connecting said side frame portions 6 and constituting thrust supports for shaft moving mechanism hereinafter described; axially alined tubular sockets or bored bosses 9 and l0 between and integrally connecting the tension member l with the annular wall 1 and the compression member 2 with the annular wall 8, respectively, as clearly shown in Fig. 3; abutment Walls l I for the head of a sunken rail, said walls extending along the ends of the web 4 and integrally connecting the adjacent ends of the tension member I and compression member 2; webs I2 integrally connected with the extensions 3 and the undersides of the respective abutment walls Il; and open handles I3 attached to and diverging upwardly and laterally from the central portion of the tension member I. This entire frame is preferably composed of a single castingjlwith the exception that the handles I3 may, if desired, be welded or otherwise attached to the frame after the frame and handles have been separately formed.

The abutment spaces I4 are longitudinally alined on the ends of the frame andare Vdesigned and intended to receive spaced portions of a sunken rail I5 and to hold the same substantially immovable during operation of the mechanism for leveling or removing the dish or hog therefrom. These ..abutments constitute ymeans for centering or locating the sunken rails properly in position for engagement of the leveling mechanism with Ysaid rails. lSaid mechanism comprises a screwthreadedshaft I6 extending into the tubes 9 andl I0 .midwaybetween the abutments II-3 on the respective ends of the frame and approximately at right angles to any sunken rail4 I5 mounted in saidy abutments.

The mechanismshown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5,-for moving the shaft I5 longitudinally `in .opposite directions comprises .ya ratchet nut I1 :located in the opening 5 and screwed onfsaid shaft-I6. Said nut may be mounted either in the position shown in Fig. 3, or in the vposition shown in Fig. 4. In Fig. 3 the inner end of the nut I1 is seated and rotative against the outer end of the tube II] and the `outer side of the annular vWall V8. A ring I8 has a radial vilange I9 extended inwardly from its inner end and seating. directly against the outerend of the nut I1 and'encircling anoutwardly extended.tubu1ar .portion 20 of .the nut. The wall of the opening through thenut I1, and the tubular extension thereof are` formed with screw threads screwed on the threadedshaft I6. A ring 2| having approximately 4the same internal diameter as 4:the ring I8 abuts4 against the outer end of Vsaid ringV 'and has a radial outer end wall 22. abutting 4against the.. in-

nerend of the @tube/.9 and against .the annular wall 1. A Yroller anti-friction bearingdevice 23 of known construotionis located within .the rings I8 and 2| and betweentheWaHs I9.and 22 of'said respective rings. .n It iseasily..understandable that the relativepos'iftions of. the nut l1 and the .anti-friction bearing. device maybe reversed and arranged in vthe vpositions showninFig. 4; that is, that the .nut I.1 may be mounted inthe openlgagealole with the peripheral teeth 21 on the nut in `order to turn said nut forcibly in either direction. The ring 25 is formed with an integral socket 28 to receive an end of an operating lever or bar for, positively turning the operating mechanism in either direction and thereby move the shaftV I6 longitudinally in one direction or the other, as desired. Said ratchet mechanism has `the same general construction and mode of operation as disclosed in my Aprior Patent -No.

2,261,949, November 11, 1941. The ratchet ring ,25 is prevented from longitudinal displacement along the nut Why-engagement with an adjacent part of the frame and with the ring I8, be-

.tween which said ratchet ring is located `after this mechanism has been assembled in the frame. Two pivotally connected vise jaws are yswivveled .ion the rlower end of the-shaft IB for'gripping or 30.

engaging under thehead of the rail I5' on loppositesides of the web ofsaid rail. The vise jaw 29 hasa lateral extension 30 intermediate ofI its `ends engaged between a pair. o f spaced enten- V1sions '3l projecting fromthe cornplementaryvise jaw 32. A pin 33'pivotally attaches the extensions 30 and 3l and is spacedequidistantufrom the inner sides of the jaws 29 and 32. Arms 34 project inwardly from the upper ends Aof ,the vise .a complementarily inclined or 'upwardlyftapered head'ss integraiwith the lower end of lthe shaft ing 5 with its end abuttingagainstfthe annular wall 1, the tubular part 20 Vextsending toward' the yannular wall v8 `and .having 'the (anti-friction bearing device mounted`.thereon. .Thisarrahgei ment involves a reversal oflthe .nutand the fantifriction bearing .devicefrom the Aposition shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig14, and `will be readily understood by 'thcse familiar 4with such devices.

In eitherthe arrangementshown in Fig.v 3 or the arrangementv shown inl Fig. 4, the ring ',I is directly attachedtdthe ratchetnut vI1 ,by anum- .-ber of` fastenerpins 24 .extendingthroughholes rotated.

`.iaws 29 and 321respectively,A andhave .upwardly inclined inner walls seating .upon and around I6. That isthe shaft tIG extends between' the arms A3l! of the visejaws29 and32; andthe head 35 engagesunder and forms swivel'conneotion with said arms.

The lowerends of the vise `jaws 29 and 32 have integral inwardly extendedprojections"35; ,This provides a deviceacting and functioning as jagvise supported by `swivel connection with the shaft IB in a relationship in which `the'pivot 33j'operatively .vconnectingthe .two vise jaws `29'Iand'll2 is below the lower end of the shaft I6l andibelow ,the ,head 35, and in which` the ran engaging projections'36 are spaced below the'extensionsI 30 and 3l farenough topermt the head of the rail ,I5 to be received between saidprojections 3 6 and said extensions; It is-evidentjthat tl'ieshafty may be moved to a longitudinallposition in whi'eh'f the rail I5 may be` moved longitudinallyto,engage the head of said rail above the projections 35, in

Iwhich position said projections 36engage-under the `rail Vhead and at op'posite sides 'of ytlfiefweb vof. sai'd rail, as shown. ",Thenithecshaft linay be moved longitudinally 'and upwardly through Vthejrame ofthe deviceby the operating mechanism which Ahas," screwthreaded engagement. with said shaft. j'Upward movement'ofjthe shaft I6 ,causes theupwardly tapered head `35 to Nengage against the inclined 'inner walls ofuthefarnis 34 and thereby spread apartthe upper -ends ofthe vvise .jaws 251.14m '3.2.1causins ,the .prQlePQS 35 onthelower ends or saidv vise-jaws 1togripl between them the rai1 ,web and rigidly engageonder the rail head`."Further and continued-upward longitudinal movement of the shaft l6 by forcible operation of the operating mechanism therefor levels the rail and removes therefrom the distortion or deformation herein described as a dish or a hog, and which had been imparted to the rail duringr and as an incident to its use, or otherwise. In this operation, the rail is engaged by the abutment devices 3-Il on opposite ends of the rigid frame, and is thereby held from displacement. During operative use of the device, rotation of the shaft I6 is substantially prevented by a pin 31 rigid with the head 35 and projecting between the jaws 29 and 32.

It is now evident that the frame of my improved portable metallic rail leveler comprises the minimum amount of metal required to form an unyielding frame of the necessary strength. The structural elements and parts of said frame are arranged in a novel cooperative relationship in order to resist and withstand the relatively great and severe pressures, strains and stresses to which the device is subjected when in use, without deformation, and to provide for use of said minimum amount of metal. It is also evident that this invention attains all 0f its intended objects and purposes eiciently, economically and satisfactorily, and possesses many advantages over other devices intended for these uses. I contemplate such variations as may be necessary to adapt the invention for any use desired without departure from the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A rail leveler having an arcuate frame with bifurcated ends arranged and adapted to lt upon the top of a rail, two axially aligned tubular bosses, integral with the frame midway of its ends and spaced from each other thereby providing an intervening space, a screw shaft journalled in and extending through the bosses, a nut threaded on the shaft between said bosses in said intervening space, a circular head on the lower end of the screw shaft, a pair of jaw members pivoted together as levers of the rst class with their upper ends engaging about said circular head thereby providing a swivel connection between the shaft and the jaw members and the bottom ends of the jaw members, arranged and adapted to engage the underside of the ball of the rail, and means for rotating said nut, whereby upon rotating the nut the screw shaft and with it the jaw members will be raised to lift that portion of the rail engaged by the jaw members relative to the portions engaged by the ends of the frame.

DALE A. BENNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 648,776 Neilson May 1, 1900 1,420,179 Bye et al. June 20, 1922 108,123 Emerson Oct. 11, 1870 924,514 Warehock June 8, 1909 1,129,650 Dean l Feb. 23, 1915 2,232,724 Pavelka Feb. 25, 1941 2,261,949 Benner Nov. 11, 1941 2,269,752 Benner Jan. 13, 1942 720,078 Smith et al. Feb. 10, 1903 1,750,728 Robison Mar. 18, 1930 1,846,526 Lormor Feb. 23, 1932 37,332 Chapman Jan. 6, 1863 520,258 Davis May 22, 1894 2,100,512 Kotowski Nov. 30, 1937 

